2017 Fall Performing Arts Series

Pine Eyes by Zeitgeist
Thursday, November 9 @ 8pm

@ NYM School Auditorium

A dark and delightful evening-length chamber work based on Carlo Collodi’s beloved The Adventures of Pinocchio, Pine Eyes is a rich mixture of music and words—a compelling adventure for the imagination that will captivate audiences of all ages. Narrator Nicholas Nelson joins Zeitgeist to create a fantastic tale of transformation and discovery with plenty of the bewitchment, adventure, and heroism so crucial to a good fairy tale.

Pine Eyes was written by Martin Bresnick for Zeitgeist in 2008, and was commissioned by and premiered at the Walker Art Center. Pine Eyes is part of Bresnick’s body of work Opere della Musica Povera (Works of a Poor Music), which explores themes of poverty, extremity, and loss. The composer uses limited visual and musical resource to create work of gorgeous simplicity, great depth, and captivating immediacy.Lauded for providing “a once-in-a-lifetime experience for adventurous concertgoers,”

Zeitgeist is a new music chamber ensemble comprised of two percussion, piano and woodwinds. One of the longest established new music groups in the country, Zeitgeist commissions and presents a wide variety of new music for audiences in the Twin Cities and on tour. Always eager to explore new artistic frontiers, Zeitgeist collaborates with poets, choreographers, directors, visual artists and sound artists of all types to create imaginative new work that challenges the boundaries of traditional chamber music. The members of Zeitgeist are: Heather Barringer, percussion; Patti Cudd, percussion; Pat O’Keefe, woodwinds; Nicola Melville, piano.

The Longest Night Music Festival
Thursday, December 21 @ 7pm

The Longest Night is the finale to the fall concert series. This annual winter solstice celebration features a lineup of local and regional musicians, each performing several songs for a full night of music, conversations, and connections. Free to attend & open to all. Come spend the longest night of the year enjoying live local music with us at the Cultural Center!

The Longest Night and Amanda Standalone/Mother Banjo are free to attend and open to all. Thanks to our sponsors, donors, members, and the Minnesota State Arts Board for providing free access to all for these two fall concert events.

Completed Fall 2017 Concerts:

Annie Humphrey
Saturday September, 23 @ 7:30pm

With Special Guest, The Long Hairz Collective!

Annie Humphrey’s new release tour: The Beast and the Garden comes to New York Mills! All songs on this record (except Geronimo’s Cadillac by Michael Martin Murphy) were written during Annie’s fight against Tar Sands Oil and the Line 3 pipeline/abandonment/reroute which crawls through Minnesota 1855 treaty lands threatening the lakes, rivers, wild rice, fish and plant medicines which Annie uses to sustain her family.

While standing against the Enbridge Oil Company for the past few years, Annie felt the distance between being an environmental activist and a singer/songwriter grow.

“I had to get back to doing what I love. I love making music. I love my homeland and I am desperate to protect it from Enbridge Oil but I can take a stand with my guitar too. I think organizing and the activism is keeping the beast out of the garden. I think playing music for a while is me taking care of the tomatoes.”

The Annie Humphrey concert is part of the Weaving Waters Fiber Arts Trail Launch Weekend and will follow the gallery reception for “Unraveling the Thread.”

Pat & Donna Surface
Saturday, October 14 @ 7:30pm

Now the owner of the international, award-winning record label based in Ely, MN – Spiritwood Music of The Boundary Waters, Pat sings and plays his hand-built LaPlant guitars – reaching millions with his solo performances, and with his award-winning band – the Boundary Water Boys. Pat has produced and recorded with Grammy Award-winning artists, and has won a Telly Award for his DVD of The Boundary Waters, Spirit Of The Wilderness.

In concert Pat is often joined by Donna – a ‘Performance Artist in Sign Language,’ and continues to perform at theaters, festivals, and churches. Together, Pat and Donna have written a hit show, Remember When, based on the songs of the 60’s and 70’s, and benefitting their non-profit organization – The Spiritwood ‘Forget Me Not’ Foundation which battles Alzheimer’s Disease.